Softball: Youthful boost for Warriors

A mix of young newcomers with veteran upperclassmen drives Lincoln-Sudbury in its quest for a state tourney berth.

By Dan Cagen/Crier Sports Correspondent

Roughly halfway through the season, the Lincoln-Sudbury softball team is well on its way to achieving its goal: return to the playoffs.

With a 5-6 record after a loss to Acton-Boxboro on Monday, the Warriors are still in striking position for a playoff berth. L-S will need victories in five of its final nine games to get back to the postseason once again.

L-S coach Dave Cole says the Warriors don’t need to make any major adjustments to seal that playoff spot.

"I would say it’s just a matter of doing what we’re doing," Cole said. "Keep working hard every single day. As long as we keep focus and keep working hard, they are really pushing and setting a positive tone. I think as long as we keep doing what we have been doing, we should be all set."

The Warriors have gotten a major boost from three freshmen: left fielder Amanda Quirk, third baseman Margot Costa, and Emily Fisher, who plays right field, first base and pitches.

"I’ve been impressed with them," Cole said. "It’s always hard for ninth graders to come in with players they haven’t played with before on the varsity, and they’ve really shown their value to the team. They play hard, they come to play for the team.

"I knew little bits about them with hearing some stuff from the youth coaches, but when it comes to high school, we try to do what’s best or the team and pick the kids that are going to help the team. From a coaching perspective, I couldn’t be any happier with them."

Quirk, Costa and Fisher’s success is a banner moment for the youth teams in town, which often work with the L-S players before they reach high school. In addition to those three players on the varsity team, there are several freshmen on the junior varsity team that look poised to make an impact in future years.

"I would say from what we saw this year, we have a really strong group of ninth graders," Cole said. "All the ninth graders who came out this year have a lot to offer, and I think it’s just a sign of our youth program coming in and doing a good job. We have the three on varsity, but there are a number of them that are on the junior varsity."

It can be difficult for a team with so many newcomers to coalesce quickly, but Cole is impressed with the Warriors’ team camaraderie.

The young team is led by varsity veterans like senior Megan Cain and junior pitcher Emily Graff, who twirled a one-hitter with eight strikeouts as L-S cruised to a 15-0 DCL Small victory over Weston mercy ruled in the fifth inning on Wednesday, May 3.

Graff also went 3-for-3 with a walk and two runs while Cain went 3-for-3 with two runs and four RBIs.

The team chemistry should be a strength, as the Warriors head down the stretch.

"When you do mix a lot of new players and new faces in new places, there are the challenges of not knowing the continuity and now knowing what it’s like to play with someone new," Cole said. "I’m impressed with how the girls have attacked it and I think most of the girls have seized it."

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